BACK TO THE FUTURE - PART 1

Pioneering the walkable neighbourhoods of the 21st century  

On 28 September, the Planning (Walkable Neighbourhoods) Amendment Regulation 2020 became the legal instrument that controls the assessment benchmarks for lot reconfiguration in Queensland. This milestone was the result of a long process that included landmark government initiatives such as QDesign: Principles for good urban design in Queensland (2018) and Model Code for neighbourhood design: A code for reconfiguring a lot (2020). The new assessment benchmarks are aimed at promoting more sustainable neighbourhoods that are walkable; healthier; better connected; better serviced; and less car dependant. Key changes for new subdivisions include:

• Provision of a range of housing options for multiple family and work requirements
• Improved connectivity through traditional grid-like road patterns that avoid dead ends
• Reduced block size (max. 250m) to maximise pedestrian circulation
• Provision of adequately shaded footpaths on both sides of the road for enhanced connectivity
• Open space recreation areas within a 400m walking distance of residential areas

​These changes are great news for us at NA. We have been advocating this new kind of urbanism (and applying these planning principles) for over 20 years. In fact, back in 2000 we pioneered the ‘walkable neighbourhood’ with the master plan for the ‘Town of Seaside’, a 45 Ha development 110km north of Brisbane (Fig.1). The plan implemented a balanced planning approach that envisioned a walkable community without excluding the automobile. 

​The staged development was comprised of approximately 1,400 dwellings. Only Stage 1 of the master plan was completed (Fig. 2) and the land encompassing Stages 2 and 3 was later developed separately. 

Principles The 2000 master plan showcases key Planning Amendment and Model Code assessment benchmarks, including:

A. Multiple housing options
Seven building types are offered, including flexible home-office and home-shop alternatives. 

​B. Walkable neighbourhoods
A clear neighbourhood structure is defined by a centre and an edge (Fig. 4). Residents are within a 500m walk from neighbourhood centres via an extensive two-sided footpath network that ensures streets are an active public space. 

C. Interconnected road network
The network’s gridded layout avoids cul-de-sacs, providing full connectivity and walkability. Its hierarchical arrangement ensures streets are dedicated to the public realm, while service laneways accommodate garages, driveways and refuse areas (Fig 5). This results in highly improved architectural, urban and pedestrian amenity. 

D. Open space accessibility
The extensive footpath network ensures the open space network is within a 400m walking distance from residential areas (Fig. 6). Both networks converge at open space corridors that maximise ocean views and overall amenity. 

E. Dedicated on-street parking
Landscaped berms with trees planted every 15m provide shading for footpaths and on-street parking (Fig. 7). This arrangement promotes more active and safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists, and reduces driveway crossovers.  

F. A regulatory code
The master plan included a comprehensive ‘Urban & Architectural Regulatory Code’ to ensure the proper implementation of planning principles.

Conclusions
Twenty years ago, the ‘Town of Seaside’ master plan pioneered the urban design strategies recently implemented by Queensland Government planning legislation. This makes Stage 1, the only completed stage, a perfect case study of the benefits of these strategies. Given the land encompassing Stages 2 and 3 was developed separately, in Part Two we will examine the consequences of discarding the regulatory code in the development of the remaining sites.